New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-04
KIsSANES SIDE OF TIE CASE.
J.B. HARTs STORY or THE FoRGERIEs.
NE TELLS WHAT GROUND THERE is FOR THE
CHARGE OF MURDER-KIssANE's PRESENT

living near San Francisco under the name OF William H.
Rogers was told yesterday from Kssanes pom. OF Vew
by his lifelong friend Jesse Hart the San Francisco
lawyer who came here to have the indictment
quashcd against Kissane for forgeres Oh 'ne ono,,
National Bank committed in 1853 MI. Hart 10 at the
NewYork Hotel He is q dignhed man, Of pleasing man
ncrs, some sixty years old
first knew william Kissane," said he, I'm Cihcinhau
in 1si9. then living at Lancaster sonc 10 miles
from Cincinnati. Ipracti sed law and had rahch; SO
that had pork and lard SELL and went to Cincinnati
for market. did business in that city with tocXo
Pugh well known dealer in lard, pork and provisions.
Kis.ane then under twenty years. was clerk OF Pughs
He was an exceedingly bright young follow natural
business He subsequently carried on the business
for himself While in this business he became inter-
cstcd with some others In transporting provisions etc.,
10 York. and for this purpose the steamer Martina
Washington was used The steamer left Cincinnati on
the night of January 7, 1852, for New-fork. with
cargo in which Kissane and others were IN
terested, and which was insured-for what amount
/ do not know. At 1:3O a. m. on January H.
near Island No Ca Helena, Ark the steamer was
found to be on fire. and she was burned one man.
deck hand who was drunk and could not swim lost MS
1ife -
AT the instance Of the insurance companies John \.
Cummings, the captain Of the steamer, william H. ho
land John G. Nicholson George p. stephens, Lyman
Cole william Kissane Lorenzo Adam, Amasa ana hius
Chaplin and Benjamin A. Earle we're indicted In o1hc'h
natl for conspiracy an indictment which will cover any
thing and everything The Government at the 'i1ai
was represented by Henry Stanberry. General ION
Ewing and others You will find full report OF the case
in the fth volume Of McLeans Reports, page 512 The
trial came on In May term Of 1853 The report ends
.t page No SIT, showing that 1t must have been
An extended case. The trial resulted in favor
of the defendants. The case was eh''ieu
The United States against Lyman Cole and others
There was never perfect case, and how any one
can now point to these and say guilty is more
In Ctnain
away of the burning and as all the others
were formally discharged the charge of conspiracy was
wholly disproved.
Subsequently the insurance companies had all OF
these men indicted in Arkansas the charges oil mnrer
and Of arson Arkansas last fall and searched
the records and found the clerk OF the court, D. f.
Humphreys, who remembered the case Here are 'he
records"
Mr. Hart produced bundle Of documents certified ny
Clerk Humphreys, under date OF septemoer TO-
1886, as correct transcripts from the recoras
for the MAY term 1854 in the of the State OF Ar
kansas AGAINST John N. Cummings and others Ihese
records show that the made nole p'oseqn on the
charge of murder which the defence objected TO- where
upon on motion Of the State, Cummings and the others
were discharged on the accusation of murder.
Humphreys told me-" continued Mr. Hart tnat the
udce declared the charge of murder ridiculous as the
only life lost that of the drunken deckhand whose
death ne to his condition and his inapiNX 10 SWIM
That is the only ground which General 3srr makes
his charge that KIssane is murderer On the trial as
you by these records the jurors leuGe rUa
W. Thompson foreman went havs 10 Arhal'S"s a rho %
settle this MATER nn,, aa ana after nave all 'ne
The Martha ashngton case bears peculiar ana ID
ersses ssop hs time e Of sps the nSSS he
natl have since asked him what III the world lea MIN
large venture in sending goods Yorkin the Mar
tha Washington. 1t was one which, II the steamer Went
the cargo had raise money. did IL on the notes.
intended have made them good and would nave done
That is Kissanes explanation. 1t does not excuse
the act but he only M twenty s oG and M
notes coming due disclosed what he had done ne was
to SHOW his animus in the matter he put that m
with all the rest ne cSd sclape M Ee wa tred
and convicted. but he made stirring appear 70 tne %
setting forth the facts as have stated n na & ne go pe 6e
was pardoned 1t is not true that klssane was paGoGu
promssd as sai,sd To- S testify % for the Martha
Washington cases He pardoned Oh the petition OF
"xner his pardon it is said, he went to Nicaragua
don't know anything abont that went to san Fran
was under another name. lie ultimately took ranoh
some three miles from sonoma, sonoma COUNTY ana
knew well He led pssfsft'y eset .Sh thni
Senator Hearst would today believe. & loan S Koger'
half a million dollars so would half dozen other we'll
"Yes Kssane has a brother in San Francisco an older
sxy Wears old who never speaks anybody has any
thing 10 do with ANYBODY lie came TO san FRANCISCO
him where invest in land He bought lot Tor @iooo
81. Now as TO General Darr first saw him about
month ago. on returning to my home one day after an
SessSs SessnSs Oh Hc sad he knew was from Cincinnati
told him he nightly mistaken and corrected MN
vigorously. Ne excused himself, said he would ca
again and disappeared. 1 have not seen him since.
learned in the house however, that in my absence he ma
NV history, where had lived. ETC.
what is the standing OF General DaFr In San frah
Mr. Hart
"standngi He is not at ALL, was the tart re-
The real character Of his business may come out
General Darr offered to settle his claims against
lie has made offer upon offer. You speak OF claims
He has no claims on Mr: kissane" ,cs,
cnnat OF the OF Pope Corder had soap factory
burned in fire which started in and consumed Kssanes
were nearly ruined"
Mr. Hart looked for moment as If unable to express
his emotions Then he responded with pronounced en-
phass - IT,. ,... - ann ,,ou
kind OF factory in Cincinnati lie was a pork ner-
chant ,,.,,,,..,n,. ,,,,,y
..No SIR The story s altogether without foundation
There was fire thero no factory Darr VIII nave
Court In NV search in Arkansas found the record of
sent there from San francisco asking II an IN,
for the burning Of the Martha washington and what
would he the reward If tho man were produced dd not
AS to Darrs asimus in his pursuit OF Kissane Mr. Hart
said ha, would be s6own ontv had 10 formed S%e s
for the manufacture Of wines, Mr. Hart sald ana Dair
who was taken In on certain repre- finally
Induced to get out for $4,000 What the reason for
that was" said Mr.. Hart may duly appear Dair had
an idea presume, that Rogers, who WAS In the com
pany Influential in getting him out and there
fore began this persecution"
How did Darr first learn that Rogers and Kissanc
we're tie meni"
can't say. The story that barr recognized Kissane
at n board meeting is false" ,,
'How about the quasbing OF the indictment mere
"That virtually settled on Friday All taat the
court now wants my power OF attorney have sent Tor
There is reason why the should not oe
dismissed Kissane Sing Sing on that indictment
He was paroDed to be sure but the indictment should
have been Quashed Itwas merely an oversight 'ha'
not" - - 4.
"IIen what motive had Mr. Rogers In seeking now TO
str nm a matter that had slumbered so long T.
"Ue didn't But when Darr began 10 talk OF fequi.
son on that Indictment came on here to gett Out OF
the way. And II will be got out OF the way ine "a1ci
Is virtually settled" ..,.
Mr uort dvrha IA